While the middle classes may be happy with reports of Election Commision accumulating affidavits, curbing wasteful expenditure, etc, Karnataka’s super-smart politicians have found ingenious ways of using their money power to influence voters.

One JDS candidate in Mysore district has reportedly picked up the cable TV bills of his constituents. So, instead of handing a couple of hundred rupees to voters and catching the evil-eye of the EC, he has found a novel way of keeping the observers at bay.

A Congress candidate in Bellary district has sought the services of dozens of young volunteers to go from home to home in the sweltering heat. On paper, the volunteers work for free. In reality, the candidate will pay 75 per cent of the “down payment” for a new motorcycle for the volunteers.

Who could these super-smart candidates be? And what new tactics of circumventing the EC have you heard?

10 comments

Today from morning, I have been seeing white Sumos, Gypsies(each more than 2 nos., private cars not hired ones, coming in different places and times) picking people who are dressed as if they are going to a jaatre/maduve(but males were in white attire) in Temple, Kalidasa and Adipampa Roads, they seem to be making rounds periodically and the people who get off simply start walking arbitrarily in different directions carrying small thambula-like covers.